John Mellencamp - Human Wheels (Mercury)

Nothing tries the patience quite like John Mellencamp's ongoing flirtation with greatness. In his passionate quest for great songs and strong social statements, Mellencamp raises the expectations in Springsteen-like fashion - he could be one of the few genuine stars able to tell our story.

But when it comes to capturing that folk integrity over the course of an entire album, Mellencamp always fails, leaving his fans the consolation prize of scattered songwriting "moments."

There is no Darkness on The Edge of Town or Born in the U.S.A. in Mellencamp's back catalogue - "Rain on the Scarecrow" and "Jack And Diane" are always just one song away from “R.O.C.K in the U.S.A.,” or a half-baked song you’ve never heard of and wouldn’t recognize even if you owned the album yourself.

On Human Wheels, Mellencamp reassembles his touring band for a fuller sound than the straight ahead rock of 1991's Whenever We Wanted. Violinist Lisa Germano and vocalist Pat Peterson return, giving Mellencamp a smack of the soulful, country-tinged exuberance that made 1987's Lonesome Jubilee one of his very best. But even though the great band is reunited, the great songs have long since dispersed.

The socially conscious lyrics sound awkward and contrived this time around, far from the harsh eloquence of his best social commentary (e.g. "Jackie Brown"). "Case 795 (The Family)" is almost new territory for Mellencamp, almost an indictment of domestic violence, but its anger is too subtle, its principal metaphor too idiotic - comparing family unrest to an improperly made bed trivializes the rest of the song.

In addition to ruining carefully-constructed songs with toss-off chorus lines - a practice he perfected on 1987's "Hot Dogs and Hamburgers" - Mellencamp always makes sure to further reduce his songwriting credibility with at least one completely stupid song with no redeeming value. On Human Wheels, this song takes the form of "French Shoes," where bad metaphors are again used to full disadvantage, this time with the unbecoming and surprising addition of some thickheaded chest thumping: "no man should be wearing/those funny French shoes/they look good on a woman's foot/I must say that they do/but no man should be wearin'/those funny French shoes."

Given the slim pickings, the title track is an alarmingly easy choice for Human Wheels' first single. But despite the record's disappointing lack of depth, Mellencamp redeems himself with the uncanny brilliance of "What If I Came Knocking." Already receiving some radio play, "What If I Came Knocking" is a fervently hungry song of not-quite-politically-correct male desire, a hard-rocking, moody, almost grungy thrasher that has all the fire of Mellencamp's angry John Cougar youth with a bitter middle-aged twist. "What If..." makes a mockery of Mellencamp's so-called artistic maturity, proving once again the primacy of desire over wisdom - at least when it comes to making good music.

Ironically, the youthfulness of "What If I Came Knocking" turns out to be a higher form of maturity. By combining caustic passion with years of studio expertise, Mellencamp temporarily reclaims his focus. Keep him that focused for an entire album and watch Springsteen's shadow finally disappear.

-JR